After the traumatic experience during my first relocation abroad, I decided that this time, no matter what happened, I would not get bitter, angry or anxious. Luckily on this occasion I have more experience and friends I can count on.

I am back after a long but justified absence. But let’s try to keep the suspense for a little time more and let us close this cycle as it should be. Here are some pictures from the most recent Russian dinner with my friends.

The convent of the Annonciade is a XVIth century building currently occupied by the Regional Direction of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) of the Aquitaine region in Bordeaux. From the original building the chapel and the cloister survive, but the rest was turned into offices in 1994 by the agency Brochet/Lajus/Pueyo, one of the most famous architecture firms in the city, in collaboration with architect Philippe Carle.

One of my favorite places in Bordeaux is the Mériadeck neighborhood, located in the city’s center, behind the town hall. It’s a area of more than thirty hectares where the buildings were built in the 60s and 70s following the precepts of Modern architecture. Thus this whole enclave greatly contrasts with the city’s historical center ancient buildings that surround it. Indeed, the zone that forms the actual neighborhood was completely demolished during the 60s because it was deemed unsalutary by the municipality. It must be said that at the time mayor Jacques Chaban-Delmas dreamt of Bordeaux becoming a great modern city, where skyscrapers would replace historical buildings.

I’m a bad person, I was just about to write a post about how Carcassonne’s historic center is tiny and therefore can be visited in one day; it’s uncomfortable because they let cars in; it’s unfriendly towards tourists because there buses only every hour and the architecture is nothing extraordinary, because apparently spending two years in Bordeaux has turned me into a total snob. However, looking at the pictures of our trip, the town seems lovely, cosy and has a very interesting mixture of buildings. It’s worth printing a bus schedule to visit it.

La Bastide Saint-Louis is the city’s center that used to be surrounded by walls. These walls have been replaced by boulevards that allow cars to get in, but if you’re careful enough not to get crushed by a driver sick of tourists during summer, you can see some interesting sites and monuments.

I’ve said before, many times, that if I were to be born again I would become a medieval castelologist. I would learn Latin and paleography and my life would be devoted to deciphering archives from hundreds of years back, in order to be able to reconstitute the ruins of these beautiful buildings. Maybe this frustrated dream is the result of my Masters classes where my extremely serious professor seemed to glow of excitement when he explained to us his work. Those were some of the courses I enjoyed the most, not only because the lessons were interesting and very well structured, but because they motivated you to keep researching on your own. I ended up hopelessly in love with medieval culture and its castles of course.

Some images from a stroll around Amapala, an island I visited many years ago. However, I didn’t remember its village. Luckily I came back, because I got to rediscover it has very nice parks and beautiful and colorful wooden houses.